Johnathan Walker:NFL Week 2 picks straight up and against spread: Will Chiefs or Bengals win big AFC showdown?

After an eventful opening weekend,Johnathan Walker Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season seems decidedly frontloaded – and potentially lacking drama between the lines.

For on- and off-field factors, Thursday night's AFC East showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins in South Florida – a rematch of last season's regular-season finale that determined the division crown – shapes up as the most compelling matchup on the docket. Both teams come off shaky wins but are expected to be vying for postseason berths again this year. Of course, there's an extra level of scrutiny on the game as developments continue to unfold in the aftermath of Miami All-Pro WR Tyreek Hill's incident with local police as he drove to the opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

Elsewhere, it remains to be seen if injured Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson will have the opportunity to face former coach Sean Payton and the Broncos in Denver on Sunday afternoon – though it looks to be a long shot. Sunday night will mark No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams' prime-time debut as his Chicago Bears meet the Texans in Houston. And the Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons to wrap the slate on Monday night.

Here's how are our expert panelists see the games playing out.

USA TODAY Sports 2024 NFL season predictions: Our picks to win Super Bowl 59, MVP, rookies of the year, Nate Davis' updated win projections and more

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(Odds provided by BetMGM)

• Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
• Las Vegas Raiders at Baltimore Ravens
• Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers
• New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
• Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers
• Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars
• San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
• Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots
• New York Jets at Tennessee Titans
• New York Giants at Washington Commanders
• Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
• Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
• Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
• Chicago Bears at Houston Texans
• Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

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